Yunho’s sleeve fell down showing his arm while he was stretching his arms above his head …he lowered it slowly and stared at it for abit then he remembered jaejoong’s smiling face under the gauze…

This scar on his arm and the one on jaejoong’s face are their …their ..he didn’t know how to explain it …maybe its like when two friends have the same bracelet or when two lovers wear each a half heart locket …he and jaejoong have those scars ..something they share…something that connect them ..

He smiled a small smile …

“you look happy yunho sama”

Yunho looked at top and said with the smile still attached to his lips :

“yes ..my mood is so good that I don’t find what you just said rude “

“even after everything that happened today?”

Yunho’s smile got wider and said :

“you so want to be in trouble aren’t you ?”

“I didn’t mean to bother you sir its just that I am surprised by your happiness considering everything that happened today …though that doesn’t mean im not happy that you seem to be happy“

Yunho said while spacing out :

“what happened today top?”

Top was surprised by the question …what the hell does he mean by ‘what happened today’ ??!

Then he remembered that yunho was waiting for his answer so he cleared his throat and said :

“ok …you lost control over the painting and I lost control over the dimension that we locked it in ..and you and jaejoong sama were hurt “

Yunho leaned his head on his palm and said :

“and why did I lose control over the painting ?”

Top stared at yunho  …for sure he is not asking him to know why ..he is trying to reach some point …

Top thought for a minute …maybe the easiest way to get to that point is by answering the question simply and directly so he said :

“after you had yoochun’s aura you were able to look at the painting directly without any harm falling upon you which means that you were able to fool the painting in the start but it seems that using the aura doesn’t cover magic using too and that is why the painting released a counter spell after the first attempt to use magic on it “

Top’s eyes widened as he finished the last sentence and with it yunho’s smile widened …

He understood …

Yunho said while getting up and walking around the room :

“there are clear, strict rules for magic that are unchangeable ...and playing with those rules or trying to change them is not the job of a professional magician … the smart professional magician works in the shade of those red lines because he knows that others tried and that they all faced horrible fates … no ..playing with those things is just a waste of time ..”

He turned to face top then continue with a smile :

“like the change operation that I did on jaejoong ..that should not be repeated on the same person again… only stupid magicians would try to mess with the red lines …a smart magician would never ever do that ..but also ..”

He looked at the painting that was laid on the table with no barriers around it and continued :

“ but also the smart magician knows the difference between the red lines and the norms …red lines are there since forever and messing with them causes horrible consequences…norms on the other hand are just ideas made up by ‘others’ …those ‘others’ did some experiments and decided few things based on those experiments ..the rest believed them because they are the experts …like the legend that the magic is ruined by the death of its owner ..also a smart magician should deal with each case on its own and with every magician depending on his own character …he should deal with things as he sees them and not as others see them..” 

Top said while a smile was playing on the corner of his mouth:

“the norm is that ichiro’s magic died with his death but the painting did a perfect counter spell on its own with no one there to say the spell or activate it “

Yunho was touching the painting with satisfaction clearly shown on his face …

This is it ..the original painting …

Top said:

“but yunho sama …other magicians believed that ichiro’s magic died with him based on his character…so how did he leave his magic working after his death for others to use ?”

“and that is exactly what I meant by a smart magician should deal with things as he sees them not as others see them…I read researches made by ichiro himself and went to two magical meetings that he was the guest of honor in them ..top ..ichiro didn’t leave his magic alive after him to be used by others ..he wanted to leave his magic alive after him but not to be used by others ..he wanted immortality ..he couldn’t kill his magic ..that is beyond his ability ..that was my opinion from the start and me provoking the painting today proved my theory “

“then why didn’t you provoke it from the start?”

“don’t be silly!! I don’t want to prove my theory so bad that I would put my own life on line !! I had to be careful and that is why I couldn’t use magic on the painting before I had yoochun’s aura …after I had yoochun’s aura I used magic on the painting ..that step had two outcomes …I would either be able to use magic on it and be one step ahead in my plan or I would prove something very important which would draw the lines for the next steps …now I can work while im sure that the painting is working perfectly “

Yunho looked back at the painting then got closer to the painting and whispered to it :

“ichiro don’t worry …I wont just use your painting ..im going to use it copy it and develop it “

He remembered the blood flowing on jaejoong’s face and said through clenched teeth :

“and may you burn with rage you son of a “

*****************************

Jaejoong and yoochun sat in yoochun’s living room quietly waiting for risa to arrive after they agreed to meet her in yoochun’s house …yoochun couldn’t say anything to jaejoong about him telling risa that he was a girl …well atleast he told him that he told her so he wouldn’t be surprised by anything that she would say later …

Yoochun looked sideways at jaejoong who was trying to touch his face from above the gauze …

Yoochun has a lot to say to jaejoong specially before risa arrives but he just doesn’t know where to start …

“does…does your wound hurt?”

Jaejoong looked at yoochun innocently and said :

“yeah ..alittle bit “

“how were you hurt in the first place?”

Jaejoong’s right eye widened and said :

“oh you weren’t here when this happened??”

“yeah ..when top brought me you were standing there with a bloody face and yunho’s arm was stuck in that night like thing “

“ah..that is right ..ok let me tell you ..actually it was my arm that was stuck in there first…”

Yoochun said :

“ohh…”

That explains the weird burning marks that were on jaejoong’s arm…

Jaejoong continued:

“first yunho tried to use magic on the painting then there was something like an earth quick and yunho tried to stop it but then there was this hole like thing that appeared in the painting …”

“yeah …you guys been saying there was a hole in the painting “

“you didn’t see it ??”

“if you mean the corner of the painting then yeah I saw that it looked weird but I don’t understand what you mean by hole “

“actually I don’t know …top and yunho were calling it that …it was everything into it “

Yoochun’s eyes widened and said :

“then?”

“when the hole appeared it was everything and I was afraid that it would valuable things or important papers so I thought of closing it with my hand since it was smaller than my hand “

“you weren’t scared that it might you into it too ?”

“I didn’t think of that ..the hole was things bigger than it true but not that bigger”

“then? How was your face wounded?”

Jaejoong said while touching the gauze :

“I don’t know …while I was walking to the painting something flew at me …”

“what is that thing?”

“I don’t know ..maybe it wasn’t a thing ..i mean nothing physical …it was like a sword made of air ..anyway ..even though I was hurt I was able to make it to the painting and close the hole “

Yoochun got closer to jaejoong to stare at his face then he sighed and said :

“is your eyes ok?”

“yeah..it seems that my eyes was not harmed”

Jaejoong lifted his arm and said happily :

“also yun chan healed my arm completely”

“then why didn’t he heal your face too??!”

So said yoochun in an irritated voice…jaejoong stared at yoochun for few minutes then smiled and said :

“I will tell you ..but don’t tell risa”

Yoochun’s heart dropped ….why not tell risa?..

Jaejoong said smiling :

“I asked yunho not to heal it …to leave it to heal on its own”

“but why?”

“because I was hurt while I was middling in his business ..i wanted to help him but I was only a burden to him …I wanted to remember everytime I look at the scar that I have to help him without burdening him …and I want him to remember everytime he looks at it that I am happy and proud to help him no matter what happens “

Yoochun gulped and said :

“then why don’t you want to tell risa?”

Jaejoong sighed and said while spacing out :

“risa now knows that I was a girl …I am afraid if she knew about this that she would think that I am in love with yunho like aya used to think that I was in love with you “

“but she is for sure going to ask ”

“she will ask about the reason of the wound …she doesn’t know that yunho can heal wounds so please don’t tell her that ..ok?”

Jaejoong said that and winked at yoochun ..yoochun sighed then laughed nervously and said :

“jaejoong … I ..”

He sighed again and said :

“I thought I knew a lot of things about you but …today I found out that I knew nothing about you”

Jaejoong said innocently:

“why are you saying that ?you know a lot of things about me …till today you know more about me than risa does”

“yeah..that is true …but ..”

Yoochun ruffled his hair and said :

“maybe I know you I just don’t get you”

“you mean my relationship with yun chan?”

“look! You are calling him yun chan!!”

“yeah..i call him that from the start”

“and that is what I don’t get …ok listen..this is what I know …you and yunho are friends since along time ago..but suddenly something weird happened to yunho when we two started being friends because he wanted my painting …he didn’t think twice about using you and your sister and your friends to get to me …and me and you were allies against him…you were so mad at him then and stopped calling him yun chan…but since yunho got the painting everything changed!!..i cant believe you forgave him for everything …why??..no actually to be even more honest you and him seem to be in a better relationship now than before …I don’t get how you see yunho and how he sees you at all !!”

Jaejoong stayed silent for a minute then sighed and said :

“yeah..i think you have the right to wonder …it does seem odd when you tell it like that …but its just not in my hands …yunho was with me in the most important parts of my life …my fight with him and him hurting you and people around me hurt me a lot ..but in the end when I knew his reasons it turned out they were all about me …its like ..hmmm…when your father hits you to make you stronger?..you would feel pain when being hit but you would never hate your father …and when you know why he hit you ..you will understand wither you agree with his way or not you would understand why he did it ..but that doesn’t mean to forgive him unconditionally either ..”

Jaejoong looked in yoochun’s eyes and said :

“imagine ..yunho did all of this so he can take me somewhere better …so he and I can live a better world “

“yeah..and he hurt you and everyone around you so he can take you to that better world…he didn’t even ask for your opinion”

Yoochun gulped and thought in horror…

If yunho asked jaejoong to go with him ..would jaejoong say yes ?..

Until some time ago he was sure that jaejoong would say no …he has family,friends and a girlfriend here …but after the things he saw lately he wouldn’t think of it as something far fetched…its clear that what jaejoong has in his heart for yunho is something more powerful and unique than what he has for risa even …

Is it possible that jaejoong would leave them just like that ?..

Yoochun looked at jaejoong when jaejoong didn’t comment ..yoochun was sitting on jaejoong’s left so unless jaejoong faced him or he looked at jaejoong closely he couldn’t see jaejoong’s face …jaejoong’s face had no expression on it …

Yoochun’s heart was beating fast…

“jaejoong …I want ..”

*door bell *

Jaejoong asked calmly:

“you want?”

Yoochun looked at jaejoong then got up saying :

“nothing ..im going to open the door for risa”

Yoochun opened the door for risa who had a lot of bags in her hands …

“hello yoochun”

“hi..you are late”

“yeah..i forgot my bag home and when I went back to get it I missed my train so I was late”

She lifted up the bags in her hands and said :

“as a sorry I bought you guys some snacks from the supermarket near by“

Then she smiled and said :

“you forgive me ?”

He couldn’t help but smile and say :

“yes ..come on in “

“is jaejoong here?”

“yeah..”

“ojamashimasu~~”

Risa was shocked by seeing jaejoong sitting on the sofa smiling at her with a gauze on his face ..

Her eyes widened and she threw the bags in her hands at the nearest chair she found then she ran and sat on her knees infront of him while saying :

“ jaejoong !! what happened??”

“hi..nothing..simple injury”

“what do you mean a simple injury ?? what happened to your face??”

She turned to yoochun questioningly but he only lifted his shoulders as a way to say he couldn’t have done anything …she turned to jaejoong against and said :

“are you alright?”

“yeah ..dont worry..its just a wound and I cleaned and bandaged it already”

“you don’t want to go to the hospital? What is wrong with your face? How were you wounded?”

“risa..”

So said jaejoong while looking steadily at her with his right eye then continued :

“im fine … I told you I already dealt with it …sit here and don’t worry”

And he signaled for her to sit on his right ..she did while looking at his gauze then said :

“but how were you wounded?”

“ I was doing an experiment with yunho …something went wrong and my face and his arm were hurt”

Yunho…!!

“oh…well I hope you would heal soon”

“thank you”

He said that and smiled sweetly at her …she turned to yoochun and said :

“how about you? Are you alright?”

“yeah..i was in another room when they were hurt ..i was surprised when I got back to the room”

“ohh…”

So said risa sadly…she wanted to ask more but she knew they wont answer her ..

She looked down at her lap …now she feels guilty …she intended to come and face jaejoong with her difficult questions and demand honest answers ..but he is wounded …in his face …

“I hope that you would heal fast …so we can see your whole face “

She said it in a small voice to be surprised by his face close to hers looking closely at her …her face turned red and she said :

“wh..what ?”

“why are you sad?”

She looked to the side while playing with her fingers …her eyes met yoochun who smiled a nervous smile at her …even he was not looking so good..

“I wanted to come and see what happened with you two in your meeting with yunho but it seems like things didn’t go well …I don’t know what he wanted from you two but he shouldn’t have let you get hurt like this “

“he too was hurt …his arm was almost cut off “

“even so …he likes doing weird things …why you should be hurt ?”

She looked at jaejoong to find him looking at her without answering so she said :

“in the end I was not with you …but yoochun was …and if there was something to be done im sure he would have done it “

“yoochun was there??? What am I ? am I a child who cant protect himself ??”

Risa got nervous and said :

“I didn’t mean that …I meant you have a kind heart and you might forgive anything that yunho does but yoochun wont ..that is what I meant “

She continued in a small voice:

“i..i am sorry I didn’t mean to bother you”

Jaejoong smiled at her sweetly and said :

“you didn’t bother me ..i just wish you would have more trust in me “

Yeah…that is what she came to talk about …but in this situation its not really possible …

She looked up to meet yoochun’s and said :

“ yunho wanted you and jaejoong for this experiment thing that jaejoong got hurt in right ? …but you went there to ask about aya …”

Yoochun felt his throat tighten …he almost forgot about that…risa said while looking in his eyes:

“what did he tell you?”

He looked away and said :

“ he assured me …that …that aya wont come back”

“how did he assure you?”

“he explained to me what he meant by he cant fell her anymore …and cant find her ..or …her body in case she was …”

“yoochun this is silly!!...i understand that he cant find her and cant fell her but that doesn’t mean that she is dead …he didn’t say she was dead”

“he said she isn’t in our world anymore ..that means she is dead”

“no it doesn’t”

“then what does it mean?”

So said yoochun in a louder voice …the air was getting thicker with emotions but jaejoong decided not to step in ..both are her friends while he hated her …they better work this on their own ..its better for them …that way they can accept this faster …

Risa said in an angry tone :

“yoochun..aya acts insane sometimes but that doesn’t mean she would kill herself for a fight between you two !!!”

“maybe she didn’t kill herself ..maybe someone kidnapped her and …”

“you!!”

She looked in his eyes with tears threaten to fall from her eyes then said :

“I cant believe you are accepting this so easily!!...what did aya mean to you huh?...doesn’t it mean anything to you to lose the warmth that-“

“risa don’t drive me crazy!!!! IM MAD !! im mad and sad …im not saying this because I hate aya but because it is reality !!”

When she started crying he tried to calm himself while looking away from her …

Jaejoong was at lose to what he should do …should he hug her ?? she is his girlfriend so he should right ?...but they agreed to think about this after she knew that he was a girl …also he is the main reason aya disappeared …should he really comfort her ??...

He slowly lift his arm in her direction but then he put it on her shoulder ..he cant give her more than that …

Yoochun smiled a ghost smile and said :

“this morning you cried a lot and you said that we should believe yunho’s words …why are you saying this now ?”

“because …because you are saying she is dead …she isn’t dead!! “

“ok then she disappeared into thin air ..the outcome is still the same !!“

“if yunho said * sniff* that she wont come back * sniff* because he cant feel her * sniff* maybe she is only in a place * sniff* that he cant feel her in “

Yoochun sighed …he remembered every amazing thing that yunho did infront of him today …he looked down at his palm where the wound just disappeared without any trace then said in a small voice :

“I think that if she was really somewhere that he cant feel he would have just said so “

Jaejoong gave him a surprised look and yoochun just looked sadly at him …yeah ..he saw more of yunho’s powers today and now he knows exactly what jaejoong meant this morning …he only saw him few times practicing his magic and he is already believing in his powers then how about jaejoong who saw so much of his magic that he is not surprised by it anymore …when yunho is saying something based on his powers then what he says is 100% true …he knows that now …

Risa suddenly turned to jaejoong and threw herself on his chest while crying hard and saying :

“aya …..why did this happen??.......where did she go ??...........what do I do now ??.............her mobile number is still on my mobile ………………..i wont hear her voice anymore ???....................she wont come to school anymore ??..................she wont go back home ???.........................aya…………”

So was risa saying in jaejoong’s ear …he felt his body heating up…the hair on his head standing up…he wanted to look at yoochun but he couldn’t but he still could hear the sound of his muffled cries …

There is some hot water on his face too …must be sweat because risa is hugging him tightly and crying  on him …but sweat normally is cold right ?...this one is hot and makes him unable to see well …

Damn it …